The Spartan
by wiseguy1107
Summary: As the war raged on, the number of Spartans dwindled until there was only a handful left. This is the story of one such Spartan. Michael-113 is this Spartan and this is his story. He and his comrades have come to the village of Konoha on a scientific expedition. Naruto is a four year-old boy who's life has been hard. Watch as both of these two's lives are changed forever.
1. Contact

**Hello everybody! Maybe some of you remember from a while back, but I've done this story twice now. And both times I scrapped the sucker. For really real this time, I'm back with more writing experience and will try to do this story again. I'll be juggling this story with two others, "Adventure Time in Another Dimension" (My flagship fic) and "The son of the Dovahkiin." Please check those out when you get the chance.**

**Let's begin, enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Contact**

The Human-Covenant war had claimed billions of lives and destroyed countless worlds, mainly humans. The Spartans had kept humanity from going over the line of extinction. They were the elite of the elite. Bionic soldiers with near super human abilities. Though, they were still only humans. As the war raged on, the number of Spartans dwindled until there was only a handful left. This is the story of one such Spartan. Michael-113 is this Spartan and this is his story.

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The UNSC Halcyon-class Frigate, _Pale Horse._ Its crew was composed of a few thousand Marines, engineers, civilian personnel, and members of the flight crew. On board the ship, in the crew quarters, a Spartan slumbered.

"Master Michael? Master Michael? It is time to awaken." Michael opened his eyes to see his A.I. partner Wilson in his visor. The computer program was dressed in a penguin-like tuxedo. He had gray hair and wrinkles. Michael couldn't help thinking that was strange when he first met him. Though, he then remembered how A.I.'s were made to look like humans but why someone chose a butler design, Michael would never understand.

"I'm up, Wilson." Michael said groggily with his gravelly . Wilson smiled warmly.

"Good morning sir! Did you sleep well?" Wilson asked in his British accent. Michael couldn't help but compare his voice to a character in a movie he'd seen on the holotapes. Zazu, that's it, Michael thought.

"I guess." The Spartan was dressed only in his skivvies. He opened his footlocker and quietly dressed into his flight suit. The rest of the Marines around him were still fast asleep, their shift doesn't begin for another few hours.

The halls of the ship were bustling with activity as Michael went to the latrine. Most of the time people stayed out of his way but today he was having to catch people before they bumped into him. The people in question were all holding small pads and wore lab coats.

"I hate scientists…" Michael muttered.

The Spartan was able to successfully make it without damaging to many people. As he attempted to do his restroom routine, Wilson popped up.

"Sir, the Captain wishes to speak to you."

"Alright, tell him I'll be there shortly." Wilson blinked out as Michael went to one of the sinks. He quickly brushed his teeth. When he looked up he could see his reflection. He head was clean shaven but the stubble on his chin showed he had black hair. Michael's unusually pale skin was thanks to the many days and weeks spent inside of his battle suit. His emerald eyes went to his left arm. He clenched the mechanical fingers, and then flexed the robotic gears that made his arm. His gaze was then center on the large, ugly scar that took up most of the left side of his face. This was courtesy of a wrath mortar explosion. He was almost _decommissioned _because of the handicap it caused. He had trouble hearing in his left ear and seeing from his left eye. He proved them wrong though and was able to avoid discharge.

After a few minutes, he entered the bridge. Some of the flight crew saluted him as he passed. The Captain was signing off on something and checking the different digital charts that surrounded him.

"Captain James." Michael greeted. The aging Captain turned to his subordinate. Captain James's steal blue eyes seemed to scan Michael. As if looking for some hidden danger. The two had known each other for quite some time, it was just his way, so it didn't bother Michael as much. His mustached face was constantly set in a stony expression.

"Warrant officer." He said stiffly, "We're coming up on the planet." James gestured to the panoramic viewing window.

This was a planet not yet explored, at least not by the humans. It was beautiful as a planet had the capacity to be. There seemed to be only one continent with small islands dotted around it. The orb seemed to glow blue, tan, and green from the land below.

"ONI wants us to examine the planet?" Michael asked, not taking his eyes of the view. Captain James grunted in confirmation.

"Why they need a military vessel to do it is beyond me."

"Is that why there's so much excitement around the ship?" Michael questioned as he remembered all of the scientists he had to push out of the way.

"Yes. Damn eggheads haven't shut up about it since I announced we were close." The Captain shook his head in annoyance. "They all seem to think I care about their little science project. Frankly, I think we have more important things to worry about. Like this war for instance."

"That's true sir. Unfortunately, our opinions don't seem to matter to the Office of Naval Intelligence." Michael commented more bitterly than he meant to.

"Roger that." The Captain mumbled seeming to ignore his tone, "Crew!" The flight deck snapped to attention, "Begin landing procedures. Get the pelicans warmed up and the motor vehicles checked for operational condition." The bridge was abuzz with the crew running around to do what was ordered of them.

Michael's watchful gaze shifted back to the planet. He wondered what this new planet would hold in store for him.

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The Mark VII MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor stood ready to be worn by Michael as he entered the room it was located in. Black as night, even without a wearer it was still intimidating. After Michael finished latching on the suit, it melded to his skin, making it feel like a second layer of skin. A protective, mechanical, expensive and fatal to Michael's enemies', second layer of skin. But a layer nonetheless. The suit was missing an arm where his bionic arm was supposed to go through.

Michael quickly took the armor out of its storage and equipped it. The bulky suit didn't offer too much mobility but he was hell to fight up close. A bandolier went across his chest that held shotgun shells. He opened the locker next to the case. There rested his shotgun and a good amount of shells to use and beneath that was his knife. He unsheathed it and ran a finger along the edge of the kukri knife. Satisfied, Michael put the blade on his shoulder plate. Two SMG's were hung up on a hook and Michael put them on his hips.

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The _Pale Horse _entered the atmosphere of the planet. As they came through the cloud layer, the surface of the planet was more clearly visible. A wide expanse of lush, green forest was laid out below the ship. If one was to look farther, they would see large, brown mountains in the distance and a sparkling ocean.

Lead scientist, Dr. Samantha Johnson, was on the bridge with Captain James. The doctor had long blond hair she kept in a ponytail. She was dressed rather casually in a red shirt and blue pants but still managed to look professional in her white lab coat.. Her black eyes shone in wonder and amazement as she looked down at the planet below.

"This is amazing Captain!" Her face was bent upward in a large grin. James was indifferent.

"If you say so, doctor." He said dismissively, "But it looks like every other planet we try to colonize." Samantha shook her head.

"You don't understand. Every planet has something to teach us all." The Captain was pretty much ignoring her as he pressed some buttons on a nearby console.

"Our communications are out." He said suddenly. She stopped her optimistic lecture and peeked over his shoulder. The antennae icon was showing a red X through it, "I can't contact command."

"It might just be the atmosphere. I'm sure we can re-establish communications when we get off the planet." The Captain grunted in acknowledgement. Samantha turned back to the viewing window and her eyes widened, "Look!" She pointed. James looked where was pointing and couldn't believe what he saw, "The planet's inhabited."

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Hokage Hiruzine Sarutobi along with his council gawked at the massive object that appeared in the sky not too long ago. The old man couldn't believe his eyes as it seemed to get closer.

"What is that?" One of the council members asked, "Is it another demon?" Sarutobi shook his head.

"I don't know." He admitted

"We need to mobilize the military!" A particularly scared member exclaimed. The Hokage was an intelligent man and great leader but right now no idea what to do.

"No. Have the Anbu on standby but for now…we will wait." It was then he noticed small objects come out of the behemoth and speed toward them. Sarutobi hoped he made the right choice.

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Three pelicans soared through the air. Michael had seen the village from the hangar. It was large and seemed to bustle with people and flourished. Tall concrete buildings and other wooden manors dotted the city. A wall surrounded the city and had men and women on top wearing strange uniforms. Green flak jackets, blue jumpsuits with blue sandals.

The airships finally landed just outside the large red gate as it opened. Landing gears hit the ground and the loading ramps lowered for the Marines with their assault rifles to file out. They formed a protective formation as Captain James, Dr. Johnson, and Michael met with the old man in white and red robes. His square, veiled hat covered most of his head except for his wrinkled, pointy-bearded face. He was flanked by two warriors in purple vests and animal masks. One wore a dog mask and the other looked to be a falcon. Small swords could also be seen strapped on their backs. After a moment of the two leaders sizing each other up, Captain James held out a hand.

"I am Captain James Hatfield of the United Nations Space Corp." Sarutobi cautiously took his hand and firmly shook it.

"I am Hiruzine Sarutobi. The Kage of Konoha." Michael stayed quiet during the encounter but Samantha came up to the two.

"My name is Dr. Samantha Johnson. I'm a scientist with the UNSC."

"It is good to meet you all." Sarutobi said with a small smile though he had a hundred different questions going through his head, "Welcome to our village. Come, we can speak more in my office."

"Would it be alright if some of my men came with us?" Captain James asked. Sarutobi was hesitant but said yes.

"Kowalski, Brian, Ramirez." The Captain said. Three Marines came forward and stood at attention, "You're coming with us. The rest of you stay here with the pelicans."

"Sir yes sir!" They all said in unison. The group followed Sarutobi as he entered the village.

The population of the Leaf Village gave the humans a wide berth and watched them from a distance. Some whispered to each other but otherwise it was dead silent.

When they finally arrived, Michael and the Marines elected to stay outside while the Hokage spoke with James and Dr. Johnson.

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The Hokage sat down behind his desk and pulled out his corncob pipe. James and Dr. Johnson sat down in the chairs in front.

"Would you two like anything? Water?" They both shook their head, "Ok. So where do you people come from?"

"We come from space." James answered.

"We're part of a species called humans. We've come here on a scientific expedition to study this planet." Samantha elaborated.

"That's incredible!" Sarutobi said in amazement, "I never knew there were other people beyond the stars." James nodded.

"There are millions of worlds out there. The UNSC is an empire of humans that inhabit hundreds of different colonies."

"Incredible." Sarutobi said again. Among his vast vocabulary, that was the only word that seemed to fit this situation.

"With your permission, we would like a chance to study your people and culture." James said.

"Yes, of course. If you would also give us a chance to learn about you." Sarutobi bargained.

Before anyone could say anything else, a gunshot rang out from outside.

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*Few minutes earlier.*

Ramirez laid down against the wall and put his rifle next to him. Brians and Kowalski stood but slung their rifles over their shoulders.

"Any o' you got a smoke?" Ramirez asked.

"I think I've got one." Kowalski said as she dug into her hip satchel. She pulled one out and handed it to him with a lighter.

"This is pretty wild." Brians said, "The only other aliens we've seen were the ones in the Covenant. I honestly was starting to think we were all the only ones."

"I guess we're not anymore." Kowalski said. Ramirez took a drag of his cigarette as a group of people watched them.

"I don't like being watched like this. I feel like an animal at the zoo."

"They're just curious Ramirez," Michael said, "To be honest, so am I." The Spartan then felt something run into his leg. A small blonde haired boy was on his back on the ground. Michael thought the bruises he saw on the boy's face were caused by him but then he noticed what looked like a fist shaped mark on his cheek. Michael kneeled down and helped the boy to his feet.

"Are you alright kid?" The boy's large sapphire eyes were filled with fear as he glanced behind him at the mob of people running up to them. They stopped running and stood a good distance away from the soldiers with their makeshift weapons held up, "What'd you do to piss them off?"

"I don't know…" The terrified voice of the kid said.

"Give us the monster!" One of the more ballsy villagers demanded.

"Monster?" Michael thought. He looked down at the child who couldn't be older than four as he gripped Michael's leg, "Are you talking about this kid here?"

"We indeed are. Now give him to us." The mob shouted in approval and was getting more riled up. The three marines with Michael tensed up and gripped their weapons.

"Get behind me, kid." Michael told the boy as he drew his shotgun, "I'm not giving you anything. Now I kindly recommend you get out of here." Michael said calmly but that just made the silent threat more real. Some of the villagers advanced on them.

"Back off!" Ramirez yelled as he and his comrades raised their rifles at them. A rock suddenly sailed through the air and hit Ramirez on the helmet but a shard cut his face. He cursed in Spanish. The whole situation was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Michael finally fired a shot in the air. The villagers, having never heard or seen guns before, panicked and ran off. Michael ejected the used cartridge and the gun back on his back. He turned to the boy who was plugging his ears and trembling with tears in his eyes. The small was lifted into the air by the Spartan. He looked into the visor but only saw his reflection.

"They're gone. You're ok." The boy sniffled and gave a smile, "What's your name?"

"Naruto." He answered.

**What did you guys think? Thanks for reading! **


	2. Naruto

**Hey everybody! How's it going? Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter and follows. I'm glad to see that people like my story! **

**Anyhoozer, let's begin.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Naruto**

"Naruto." The boy introduced and smiled at the giant man. Meanwhile, Ramirez was fuming about his recent injury.

"Damnit!" Ramirez exclaimed as he held his bleeding cheek. Brians chuckled at his friend and Ramirez shot him a look of anger, "Piss off." Kowalski started to laugh too but stopped when she saw someone come out of the building.

"Speaking of pissed off…" Kowalski muttered as Captain James and Dr. Johnson stormed out of the Hokage's building and stormed towards them. The three marines snapped to attention immediately.

"Sir, if I might interject," Wilson piped up and said to Michael, "I believe you may have screwed the pooch on this one." Captain James went straight to Michael. He may have been at least a foot shorter than the Spartan but he still managed to get in his face.

"Are you out of your mind, soldier?" He reprimanded, "Firing off your gun in a public place, we're trying to set relations with these people and you go and-"

"Save my grandson." Sarutobi cut in and approached the confused captain and stoic Spartan. Naruto's face immediately lit up when he saw Sarutobi.

"Grandpa!" The blonde boy practically jumped out of Michael's grip and into the open embrace of the warmly smiling Hokage but his expression changed when he saw the injuries on his face.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" He asked with a frown of concern.

Naruto nodded. "Those people tried to hurt me but I'm ok now. Thanks to them." Gesturing to the human soldiers and Spartan. A smile once again appeared on the old man's face.

"Thank you four very much," He bowed slightly, "If you hadn't stepped in against those people, who knows what would have happened to Naruto. I am in your debt. Truly I am. Now if you'll excuse me, I should take Naruto to be examined by a doctor."

"Hokage, sir." Captain James said, "My men can take him to be examined. So we can finish our meeting." He suggested.

"Really?" Sarutobi asked with uncertainty. This was a huge amount of trust to put into strangers. Though, his years as shinobi had taught him how to read people. He looked down at Naruto, having decided to let him have the final say, "Are you ok with that?" Naruto grinned and nodded yes, "Thank you very much." Sarutobi said to the Captain, "Naruto, be good. I'll see you later."

"Kay, old man." Naruto said. At first the humans were surprised at this but relaxed when the Hokage chuckled. He then handed Michael a small pouch.

"If it isn't too much trouble, can you please take Naruto to get something to eat when you're done at the hospital?" Michael glanced at James who nodded in approval. Michael agreed. The Hokage thanked him and turned back to the two leaders. "Come, let us go back inside." The Captain, doctor and Hokage went back into the building. Now that he was alone, Naruto seemed a little shy.

"Let's go get you checked out, kid." Michael said after a few moments of silence.

The group escorted Naruto through the streets. The little guy was so full of energy and would run ahead of the group or stay with them and fire off questions like a machine gun.

"What are those weird clothes?" "What are those metal things?" "Where did you come from?" Things along those lines. The kid's laugh or smile made it hard for the Marines and Spartan to get annoyed and answered his questions. Though, Michael stayed silent and would look at the people who gave the innocent boy blatant looks of disgust or hatred.

"How could anyone be so cruel to this kid?" Michael thought to himself. Nothing that came to mind made any sense. This was definitely a messed up village.

"What are your names?" Naruto asked.

"My name's Sara." Kowalski answered.

"I'm Luther." Brians said.

"The name's Ramon!" Ramirez exclaimed. Naruto then looked at Michael when he didn't answer.

"Hey!" He called up to the Spartan, "What's your name?"

"Michael." Michael simply said. After a few minutes, Naruto stopped walking and looked down glumly.

"Thanks for helping me." Naruto said. The group stopped walking as well.

"You're welcome, Naruto." Sara replied. The soldiers looked amongst themselves until Ramon finally spoke up.

"You know, little buddy," Ramon began, "If you don't mind us asking, why were those people chasing you?" Tears were now visible in the toddler's eyes.

"I don't know…It's been like that my whole life… People want to hurt me and I don't even know why. It's not fair."

"Where are your parents?" Sara asked, her heart breaking a little bit seeing the young boy cry.

"I don't have any…" Naruto was sobbing quietly until he felt a cold hand lay on his shoulder. He saw it was connected to Michael who gave him a small pat. Michael's comrades were surprised at this show of comfort.

"It'll be alright, kid. While I'm here, I'll do everything in my power to make sure no one hurts you." Naruto sniffled.

"Really?"

Believe it, I don't break promises I make. No matter what." Naruto smiled.

"Yeah, Naruto. We'll watch over you." Sara said.

"For sure!" Luther agreed with her. Ramon then ruffled his hair.

"You know it, amiguito. And if all else fails, just stick with your Uncle Ramon. He's muy macho!" Ramon flexed his arms dramatically and Naruto giggled. Michael chuckled quietly. Wilson came up on his visor and had a knowing grin.

"Why sir, if I'm not mistaken, you actually chuckled." Michael immediately stopped.

"Your point?"

"Well, for the two years since I've made your acquaintance, you've never even cracked a smile." Wilson then chuckled himself, "I was beginning to think you were incapable." Michael ignored that last remark and kept walking.

The group made it to the hospital a few minutes after that. The inside of the medical facility was filled with activity as the medical personnel ran to and fro, helping the patients that came in. They got strange looks from anyone who was paying attention as they approached the front desk. A busy nurse sat there flipping through different documents on a clipboard.

"Excuse me? We'd like to admit a patient." Michael said. The nurse looked up and scowled when she saw Naruto.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't help demo-" Michael's kukri knife was suddenly slammed against the desk. Her eyes were wide as saucers.

"Just so we're clear." Michael emphasized calmly at the frightened woman, "Now, as I was saying, our young friend here is injured and would like some medical attention. May we please see a doctor?" She nodded furiously and pressed a button, calling a doctor who briskly came out. Michael sheathed his knife back on his shoulder and nodded at the nurse, "It was very nice meeting you."

"Ahh Mr. Uzumaki," The doctor greeted with a smile, "I'd ask you how you were feeling but you're here so I guess that'd be redundant." The doctor was completely bald and looked like an older man. He had soft, brown eyes that seemed to be genuinely concerned for the toddler.

The marines took off their helmets and sat down in the waiting room. Sara had short cut bright red hair and pale green eyes. Ramon had a little bit of hair on his head and tan skin. Luther was completely clean shaven that his head almost shone from the lights above.

Michael got stuck taking Naruto in with the doctor. It was funny when he really thought about it. He was put into the Spartan program at such a young age and that was the only life he ever really knew. He never thought he would be able to have a wife, kids. A normal life. But right now, as weird as it sounds, taking this kid he just met to the doctor, he almost felt like a parent. Especially when the doctor was asking about Naruto's medical history but he had absolutely nothing to tell him.

Doctor Yu, which is what he revealed his name to be, patched up Naruto and made sure he wasn't in too much pain. All covered in bandages, Naruto thanked the doctor.

"Alright young man, you're all set. Try not to come back soon." He joked.

Sara, Ramon, and Luther put their helmets back on as they exited the hospital. Michael waved to the nurse at the front desk who jumped to the ground when he got close.

"We should head back to Hokage's-" He was cut off by a low growling. He spotted the source as being Naruto's stomach. Naruto smiled sheepishly, "Are you hungry?" Naruto nodded.

"Where did the Hokage say to take him?" Luther asked.

"I know the best place ever to go!" Naruto exclaimed and booked it, making his friends have to chase after him.

Ichiraku's was the best ramen joint in all of Konoha. At least, that's what Naruto constantly repeating as he and his friends approached the stand. Michael lifted the door flap for his comrades as they entered.

"Naruto." Ichiraku greeted. He did a double take when he saw the strange looking people with him, "So you must be the visitors."

"The visitors?" Ramon asked.

"Yeah, you're the ones that came in that big thing in the sky." He said pointing upward. "It's good to meet you. How about some ramen? On the house." The group all said yes.

"My favorite type of food," Ramon said, "Free food." Meanwhile, Naruto was bouncing in his seat. Michael finally put a stopping hand on his head.

"Stop." Was all he said and took his hand away. Five steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of them. The Marines took off their helmets and began eating. They were all saying how good it is.

"It feels like there's a party in my mouth!" Luther said as he slurped up more noodles. Ramon said something in Spanish. But they all almost spit it out when they saw Naruto was already on his third bowl.

"Jesus, kid!" Luther shouted, "How is that even physically possible?" Naruto was still devouring his food when he noticed Michael wasn't eating.

"Hey, Michael, why aren't you eating? It's awesome! You gotta try it." Naruto tried to argue. The Spartan shook his head.

"I'm fine. I'm not hungry." To be honest, Michael was famished, but he didn't want to freak the poor boy out with his _scar_.

"Come on try it! Pleeeeease." Naruto pleaded and tried to give him the puppy dog eyes. Michael finally caved and slowly removed his helmet. The scar disfigured the left half of his face, stretching the skin and there was obvious plasma burn damage. The marines and Michael were waiting for Naruto to freak out but the kid kept his smile.

"What are you waiting for? Try it!" Michael was taken aback, most people who first saw it cringed and would try to avoid eye contact. Or at least direct eye contact with his face. Michael snapped his chop sticks apart and lifted the noodles to his mouth. A burst of delicious flavor exploded in Michael's mouth. He swallowed the food in his mouth.

"This is awesome." He admitted and continued to eat. Twenty minutes and 40 some odd bowls between Michael and Naruto later, The Hokage, Captain James, and Dr. Johnson found them.

"Naruto." Sarutobi greeted and saw the bowls piled up, "Beaten your record it seems." He said with a chuckle.

"Not exactly." Michael said with a burp. He covered his mouth in embarrassment, "Excuse me."

"Well, Spartan, marines," James said ignoring his best soldier's gas release, "It's time to return to the Pale Horse. We need to contact HQ and let them know we've arrived." As if on cue, Captain Jame's communicator went off, "Captain James." He greeted. His face steeled after a few moments.

"We need to go now!" James exclaimed.

"Sir, what's going on?" Michael asked.

"The Covenant. They're here." He said gravely.

**Cliff hanger! I think...Anyway, the enxt chapter will be longer. This was just a filler.**

**Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review. I absolutely love those things.**


	3. Assault

**Thanks for reading. Let's begin. Oh just so you guys know, I PM thank yous to people who review or favorite or follow my story.**

**It's also funny because I've never gotten this many follows or reviews so quickly haha.**

**Also, I have another story called, "Adventure Time in Another Dimension" if anyone wants to read it.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: Assault**

A large covenant light-cruiser loomed in the distance as the three pelicans sped into the hangar of the Pale Horse. Its lower fins glided through space as the purple vessel of destruction headed the human's way.

The Captain and his soldiers swiftly exited the landed aircraft as personnel were locking and loading their rifles in anticipation of the enemy attack. Alarms blared and an automated voice over the intercoms gave instructions.

"Spartan, I'm going to the bridge to lead the attack. You stay down here and lead the defense." Captain James ordered before rushing to the bridge. Michael started ordering for defensive positions to be set up along the balconies of the two hangers. Some of the civilian personnel were running around getting in the way so he ordered some of the marines to get them somewhere safe in the ship.

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Loraan'menee, captain of the covenant cruiser, Genesis, clenched his mandibles as he spotted the human ship. These heretics. These vile vermin were just asking to be crushed under the Elite's foot like an insect. They deserved it for trespassing on a sacred site. This was just like when they desecrated the sacred ring and destroyed it.

A grunt approached him and bowed.

"Shall we commence firing on the heretics?" He asked. Loraan nodded.

"Begin the assault." He ordered with venom, "And have a transport for me on standby."

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Meanwhile on the bridge of the Pale Horse, Captain James arrived just in time for the covenant ship to release Banshees, Seraphs, and Phantoms from the opened maw that was its hanger.

"Why aren't the longswords out there?" Captain James demanded. One of the techies was pressing multiple buttons on his screen until it flashed red.

"There's a malfunction with the bay door sir. It's not opening from here!" The crew member hit the console in aggravation, hoping that would somehow make it work. Captain James cursed. He then spoke into the comm piece on his ear.

"Warrant Officer, we have a problem." He urgently said, "The fighter bay doors won't open and we're sitting ducks without them." There was static for a moment and then Michael's gravelly voice came through.

"I'll get them open sir."

"Don't let me down." He said, "Turn broadside, fire everything we've got!" The captain ordered his flight crew.

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He got off the comm and took Wilson out of his helmet. The cranial chip glowed a light orange. The Spartan put him into a terminal and Wilson's face appeared.

"Master Michael, it seems the door's circuits were fried when we entered the planet." Wilson informed as he looked further into the system, "They'll have to be opened manually. It seems there are already pilots there attempting to do just that. I shall inform them that you will be arriving soon."

"Alright, Wilson, I'm leaving you here. Help with whatever you can." Wilson bowed.

"Of course, Master. Whatever you wish." Wilson blinked out and left the screen blank. Michael then turned to Ramon.

"Ramirez, if I'm not back in time, you're in charge." Ramirez saluted as Michael sprinted down the corridor to get to the star fighter hanger

An explosion rocked the ship sending Michael to the floor. More disorienting blasts sent Michael into a wall, leaving a good sized dent.

"Medic teams to firing room three," An almost panicked voice came over the intercom, "Repeat, Medic teams to firing room three."

When there a pause in the bombardment, Michael picked himself up and continued to run down the hall. As he passed a viewing porthole, he saw covenant boarding craft start to attach themselves to parts of the ship. Banshee's bombs shook the ship once more.

The Spartan barely had time to dodge as a gigantic screw like object went through the wall next to him. He was luckily not to be impaled. That was the least of his problems though. His feet slid across the floor as the cold vacuum of space began trying to suck him through the opening. This problem was remedied quickly by the object opening and latching itself to the wall. But this was replaced by an even bigger problem that took the form of Elites and Grunts pouring out and shooting plasma bolts at him.

Michael jumped through an open door next to him as more bolts littered the air. There was nowhere to get cover and it would be suicide to run out there, even with his armor's shielding. He finally got an idea and drew an SMG and his knife. The covenant soldiers stopped firing and there was silence for a moment. An Elite poked his head in. Aiming for the opening between his mandibles, Michael didn't hesitate as he brought his kukri knife up through its head and using it as a shield, carried it out while it was riddled with bullets from its previous comrades. Michael fired off bursts of bullets at the enemy from behind his meat shield.

"_Aim for the leader of the group, they're the __**tall**__, ugly bastards, this causes confusion and demoralization. _Then_ go for the __**little**__ uglier bastards. Tallest to shortest._" That's what he was taught.

The lead Elite's shields finally gave out and Michael filled his body with bullets, bringing him to the ground, dead. The Grunts looked in horror at their dead squad leader and Michael dropped his, now filled his holes, shield. The little aliens trembled with fear as Michael approached when he was right in front of them, he reloaded his SMG.

"I don't feel like wasting bullets," Michael said calmly, "If you leave now, I won't have to do that." The grunts just stood there rooted in place, "5…4…3…2..." Before he could finish the Grunts ran screaming back into their ship. "Pissants." The Spartan continued past the open landing craft but not before tossing a fragmentation grenade into it.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Get some, get some!" Ramon yelled as he fired round after round at the approaching covenant forces with his mounted machine gun from the catwalk. The covenant craft landed a little after the Spartan had left and released waves of Elites and Grunts. They were stopped dead in their tracks behind crates as they tried not to be killed by the human soldiers. Sara had her sniper rifle on a tripod and shot at any heads that were unfortunate enough to pop up. Luther provided heavy support with a rocket launcher. The rest of their brothers in arms were either up there with the trio or down below. Luther fired one of his rockets at a pocket of grunts that were hidden behind a pillar and they went flying in every direction.

"I think we're winning." Luther shouted above the constant cracking of gunfire. He was proven wrong when the next craft attached itself. It opened to reveal a terrifying sight.

"Hunters!" And a whole mess of them. They counted at least ten. Their blue armor shimmered and their cannons glowed with energy. Everyone's fire was now focused on the giant enemies. The bullets bounced off the hard shields the Hunters held up. Their cannons fired green plasma and obliterated the defenses below. The remaining Marines scrambled around, returning fire and trying not get killed.

Ramon, Luther, and Sara had to abandon their positions to get out of the way of a plasma explosion. The rafter collapsed as they ran and it went down at a sharp angle. Ramon tried to regain his balance but slid down and rolled. He looked up into the electrical barrel of an Elite's plasma rifle.

"_So this is where it ends?_" Time slowed for a moment until a trail of smoke went through the Elite's head. Ramon was dragged to his feet by Luther.

"Why am I not surprised we had to save your ass?" They exited the hangar with the rest of the fleeing soldiers.

"Because you both looove me." Ramon jokingly retorted but his heart was thundering in his chest from his near death experience. Sara then dropped kicked a Grunt that turned the corner.

"We need to move!" She exclaimed and fired a .50 caliber round that went through a group of aliens.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"There's a demon of board?" Loraan asked his subordinate who nodded.

"Yes sir, he has killed many of our squads who have come across him." Loraan deliberated with himself, "You're in charge until I get back." Loraan left the covenant bridge toward the hangar to a waiting Phantom ship.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

Michael finally reached the hangar to find the pilots using magnums against three covenant squads. Michael shimmied his way over while trying not to get shot but there were many corpses around. The pilot's fearful face turned to one of hope when he saw the Spartan.

"Thank god you're here!" He said, "We wouldn't have held out much longer." The young man fired off a round but the pistol flew out of his hand from the recoil, causing him to yelp in surprise. Michael put a hand on the pilot's shoulder.

"Just…sit here." He ordered. Michael tossed a frag grenade to the enemy line. There was a lull in the shooting and a loud explosion. The Spartan took the open opportunity to draw his shotgun and advance on them. An Elite was blown back by a slug and a nearby Grunt's head was caved in by a hard blow by Michael's gun stock. After a few minutes of fighting, the enemy was dead in the hangar and Michael set to work on the doors.

As the pilots attempted to enter their crafts, a shimmer entered the room. One pilot noticed but blood soon flowed from his midsection before he could say anything. Loraan appeared and was holding the energy sword that pierced the pilot in his hand. The humans saw this and raised their magnums. They all fired round after round at the silver armored Elite but his shields held until he finally reached them.

Michael had heard the firing and ran to the source only to find all of the pilots' dead at the giant Elite's feet.

"So, you are the demon." The giant simply said before charging the Spartan.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Captain, sir," Wilson said, "I have just received a notice saying all of the fighter pilots have been killed." Wilson said to the Captain. James pursed his lips. His ship was on fire, his men were dying. There was only one way. His voice blank but with authority as he said the fateful phrase that was all too common in this war against the seemingly unstoppable covenant.

"Initiate the Cole Protocol." Wilson was solemn and nodded. After a few moments he said it was done. With sorrow in his heart, he pressed the button to the intercom system.

"This is Captain James to the crew of the Pale Horse." His voice said over the intercom, "Cole Protocol is now in effect. Abandon ship. I repeat, abandon ship."

"Sir, what about the people on the planet?" Wilson asked in concern.

"I have a plan for that. Ensign, full speed ahead to the covenant cruiser then I want you all to leave."

"What about you Captain?" The crew member asked.

"Did I ask for lip? I want you all to abandon ship." He ordered firmly. None of the members made a move to leave.

"We're not leaving you sir." One of them said and they all agreed.

"Just like a god captain, a good crew goes down with the ship." Another said. Captain James grit his teeth and finally gave a small smile.

"Have it your way. Now, ramming speed!" The ship pointed itself and sail forward at the firing cruiser.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

After hearing the announcement, the three marines felt an icy grip in their chests. With renewed vigor, they took the fight to the covenant as they attempted to make their escape. They were the only ones left of their original defense team. Now they only one plan in mind.

Escape.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

Michael had heard the announcement but he simply leveled his shotgun at the charging Elite. The blast had made him stumble back but his shields stayed up. Michael held his shotgun up and attempted to fire but it was cut in twain when used it to block the Elite's strike. He held the two pieces of his favorite weapon and attempted to use them as improvised clubs. He smacked the Elite over the head but his next strike was blocked by Loraan grabbing his wrist and pushing him away.

"Draw your blade, demon." Loraan demanded, "I will not fight an unarmed opponent." Michael stood up and tossed his useless shotgun pieces aside. He drew his knife and the two once again met with slashes of their blades.

Michael's knife was made from an experimental material that could hold against an Elite's energy blade. Lucky for him, it worked.

The two locked blades and grappled for dominance. A groaning sound was heard from next to them and they jumped back when a Longsword fell between them.

"Master Michael," Wilson said frantically on his communicator, "We need to leave. The ship is falling apart at the seams." Michael eyed the Elite behind the fighter and ran over to a console. Just as Wilson transferred into him, a blade struck the console and Loraan's hand was stuck. Michael attempted to stab him but was back-armed onto his back and had to roll away from a thrust.

An explosion next to them gave Michael the distraction he needed to run. Loraan chased after him. Michael turned to him and blocked the Elite's blade. Michael attempted his own slashes and stabs but he was being backed into a corner. Michael tackled Loraan and brought his knife down. Loraan grasped his wrist once again and Michael pushed down with all of his strength but the Elite held strong.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

Ramon, Luther, and Sara finally fought their ways to the escape pods but looked out the porthole in horror to see the pods being shot out of the air.

"No way we're getting out this way." Sara said. The three raised their rifles when they heard someone come around the corner but lowered them when they saw it Dr. Johnson who was holding a magnum, covered in purple blood, and looked absolutely frazzled.

"Marines, you're alive." She said with relief, "Come on, there's still an active Pelican left in hangar A."

The three followed her to the hangar and were ecstatic when they indeed saw a pelican in working condition. A Warthog was attached to the vehicle hook. They didn't have time to get rid of it though.

"Come on, let's go!" Dr. Johnson ordered. They lowered the ramp and entered it. Sara and Luther took the controls and sped out of the hangar to the planet below. To safety.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

Loraan held strong against the lowering blade of the Spartan. Michael redoubled his efforts but the two were equal.

"You are a worthy fighter, demon." Loraan complimented as gave a shove.

"You are too." Michael replied. Suddenly, the two were pulled out of the ship, into the vacuum of space. Loraan's shields made it possible to breath but only for a short time. The two once again grappled as the gravity of the planet embraced them. They punched and kicked with Michael on the bottom and feeling the heat of re-entry.

"I'm hardening your armor master. Hold on to your teeth." Wilson informed and Michael couldn't move as fire was now framing him. Loraan was on top and held on tight as the two drilled through the atmosphere.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

The last thing the crew of the Genesis saw was the mass of the Pale Horse come slamming into them. The last thing they felt was the fiery heat disintegrate them as the human vessel self-destructed.

If anyone was to look at them form the planet, they'd see two massive fireballs that were once proud members of their own side's navy.

)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(

"Are you still alive, sir?" Wilson asked his master. Loraan and Michael had created a rather large crater. The Elite was lying a few feet away and didn't move.

"Yes." Michael croaked in pain from the impact, "Unlock me." The Spartan could now control his limbs and shakily stood. He had a slight limp as he went over to Loraan. The Elite's eyes were glazed over and Michael kneeled next to him.

Michael's SMG was then aimed at Loraan's head after he heard him come to life. Loraan weakly turned to the Spartan and clenched his jaws.

"Well?" He weakly grunted, "Finish it." As he started to squeeze the trigger he stopped.

"No…" Michael said, "No. I want you to live long enough to fight you again." Loraan was truly one of the best opponents Michael had fought before. He wanted them to have a battle that would end properly. Loraan huffed and he fell back unconscious.

**End of Chapter 3.**

**Thanks for reading everybody! Just so you guys know, I PM you when you favorite, follow, or review my story. I know I said that before but that was just a quick repeat.**

**Anyhoozer, please leave me a review saying what you think. Is there something I should improve? Something I should change? Or do you want to just say how awesome I am? I'm just kidding on that last part haha.**

**See you guys next time!**


	4. Stranded

**Hey! How's everybody doing?**

**I think, officially, I would love to have 5 reviews before a new chapter, I didn't get that last time, and went ahead and uploaded this chapter (albeit after a few weeks), but it won't happen again. I want to know your opinion guys, so let me know! I hope I don't sound like one of those authors that only writes for recognition, no, I want reviews so I know if I should keep on track with something I'm doing or change. That's all. I appreciate all that are given.**

**Anyway, 'nough of that, let's begin!**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Stranded**

"So you're the only survivors?" Sarutobi asked. Dr. Johnson nodded her head sullenly.

"Everyone was either killed while escaping or never made it off the ship to begin with."

The five humans were in the Hokage's office, standing in front of his desk. A few hours ago, the Pale Horse had just been destroyed in an intense battle with the Covenant, leaving the five stranded here. They had no communication equipment to use to contact HQ. Even if they did, though, they wouldn't be able to use them. In other words, they were effectively stuck here. Sarutobi took a long, thoughtful drag of his tobacco pipe.

"My condolences to you all." He said, "I'm very sorry about your comrades."

He thinks for a moment and pulls out a roll of paper with which he writes on:

"This slip will grant you residence at the apartment building a few blocks from here. Simply give this to the Landlord."

Michael takes the paper and puts it in his hip pouch.

"You should also be checked out by a doctor. In the meantime, I will speak with the council about your now permit visit."

"Thank you, Hokage." Michael said, "What about our prisoner?" He added, thinking back to the Elite that crash landed with Michael. When Sarutobi first laid eyes on the alien creature, he was all but dumbfounded. Everything that's happened to them all has happened in a single day, it was a lot to take in for the old man.

"He's refusing to see a doctor despite his injuries." Sarutobi informed, "You may see him if you wish, I will escort you." Michael nodded and turned to his friends. They all looked like hammered crap but put on a brave face. Their weapons stayed on their backs. Sara had a sniper rifle, Luther a rocket launcher and Ramon an assault rifle.

"You guys go get checked out. I'll be along shortly." Michael ordered. With Captain James dead, he was in charge of the three Marines.

"Sure thing, boss." Ramon agreed tiredly. He, Sara, and Luther trudged out of the office but Samantha stayed where she was.

"You should go with them, doctor." Michael said, gesturing to her injuries.

"This is more important." She insisted, despite the fact she seemed to be keeping all of her weight on her left foot. Dr. Johnson was a tough woman Michael had noticed.

"We need to find out what the covenant knows." Michael was going to argue further but decided against it.

With that decided the three exited the Hokage building and walked a few blocks. They eventually made it to what the Hokage said was the "Uchiha" district. Many of the buildings were the same as the rest of the village, but had a red and white symbol that resembled an upside down fishing weight. Two shinobi stood guard at the entrance of the central building and bowed when the Hokage passed them. More shinobi stood guard inside the building, as they descended into the bowels of the building.

Chained inside the cell, Loraan sat on his legs and held his head down as if he was in prayer. His chest plate and helmet had been stripped from him and only his leggings remained. Michael, Dr. Johnson, and Sarutobi watched him.

"What caused you to let him live?" She asked. Michael honestly had no idea. At first, it was because he wanted to fight him again, but that was just asinine. The Elite probably had a hand at killing millions of humans. As much as Michael wanted to take his knife and slit this creature's throat and let him bleed out, he knew that they had to get information out of him.

"I knew we would need to get information out of him." Michael said.

"So how should we do this?"

"I'll go in there first…" Michael began. "And I'll see how much he'll give. Then we'll just have to play it from there." One of the shinobi unlocked the cell for him.

Loraan raised his head and his amber eyes glared at him with unhidden hatred. Now that Michael was closer, he could see the extent of Loraan's injuries. Many bruises and deep cuts dotted his body. Blue blood seeped from his mandibles. Michael leaned his back against one of the walls.

"So I heard you refused to see a doctor." He said, trying to strike up a conversation to get his guard down, "Why is that? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

"Do not feign concern for me, demon." Loraan growled. "I know you seek the reasons for my people being here. Just know that I will not tell you anything."

"If you don't tell me, then I'll just have to kill you." Michael replied stoically, "There would be no honor in your death. My knife would be the last thing you see along with this prison cell." Loraan now sat up straight.

"My honor has already been tarnished by my capture. You would be sparing me a life of ridicule and humiliation." Loraan argued and looked once more to the Spartan, waiting for him to act on his threat. Michael had to admit, this Elite was strong willed. Michael let out a breath that resembled a chuckle.

"Can you at least tell me your name then?" Michael asked.

"I am called Loraan'Menee, demon." He said stiffly. Michael frowned, he'd heard of him before.

"My name's Michael and I would appreciate if that's what you called me. I believe I've heard of you. 'The Great Purifier', am I right?"

"Yes." Loraan agreed almost proudly, "I've brought down purifying flames upon your heretic kind. My righteous blade has tasted the blood of many blasphemers who dare challenge the almighty Covenant."

"So you came here to destroy this village then? These people definitely look like…heretics." Loraan didn't give him an answer and once again growled. Michael shook his head in resignation but he'd be back. This creature will crack eventually.

"Will you at least tell me if you want any food? Maybe some water? I don't know what you consume." Loraan once again refused to speak. "Fine, be that way."

By the end of this conversation, Michael was now indeed interested.

"If this interrogation is over, I wish to continue what I was doing." Loraan kneeled forward again and Michael exited the cell. Dr. Johnson watched with no emotion, but the Hokage seemed slightly disturbed.

"He's…definitely a member of the Covenant." Michael mused aloud. Dr. Johnson nodded.

"Are they all this way?" The Hokage inquired.

"Pretty much, yes they are, sir." Michael replied, "But this Elite doesn't bother me as much as what will happen if another Covenant ship happens to pass by."

Samantha seemed deep in her thought. "What are you thinking, doc?" She was hesitant to say but…

"We may be able to salvage weapons from the ship, if any of its sections fell to the planet." Michael shook his head in disagreement.

"I thought the Cole Protocol thoroughly destroyed the ships it's activated on."

"No, it fries all of the computers and deletes all of the information that can be used against us, but pieces of the ship can still be here. Though, we'd be hard pressed to find them. The Pelican we came in on took a beating in the landing." A sigh escaped from Michael's lips.

"This just gets better and better." Michael muttered. "Hokage, sir, I've heard enough, is it alright if we see the place we're going to live?"

The sun was high in the sky as noon time set into the village. The three stood outside an old apartment building that had seen better days. Peeling blue paint covered the concrete cube and the windows looked like they could use a good washing.

'_I've stayed in worse_.' Michael thought, not wanting to sound ungrateful. As if reading his mind, the Hokage chuckled.

"I apologize for the rundown conditions. I will attempt to find you a newer home after I speak with the council. Now come, I will show you to your rooms." Michael almost lost his balance when a yellow bullet crashed into him.

"Naruto, we really need to stop meeting like this." The child had a big toothy grin and gave a laugh that made Michael feel good inside. "What's up kid?" Michael's hand involuntarily went to his hip, thinking villagers were giving him trouble again.

"I live here and when I saw you, I wanted to say hi." Naruto explained excitedly. This kid was certainly a ball of energy. Michael's hand slacked away from his weapon.

"Is that so? Well, it seems my friends and I are going to be living here too." The Spartan informed.

"Really? Oh wow!" Naruto cheered. He had to stand on his toes in order to reach Michael's hand and yanked him into the building.

"Come on, I want to show you my room." Michael was letting himself be pulled and he leaned down in order to help him out. Dr. Johnson and The Hokage both laughed at this scene.

"So Naruto lives here all by himself?" Dr. Johnson asked. The Hokage nodded sadly.

"Yes, he originally lived in the orphanage but was kicked out. I would put him back on and replace the headmistress but it would be repeated or I would find bruises on him." Samantha frowned. Who could do that sort of thing to a child? It's inhumane.

"Why do the villagers treat him like that?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Sarutobi replied. Dr. Johnson tried to question further, but the look he gave her told her she would receive no answers.

Meanwhile, inside the building, Michael was standing in a small apartment that was kept clean and looked rather cozy, though bare. A single table stood in the center of the room with two chairs on either side. The kitchen had a refrigerator and microwave and a pantry. The living room contained a couch, love seat and a TV.

"Nice place." Michael complimented, as Sarutobi and Samantha followed in soon after.

"Where are we staying?" Michael asked. The Hokage handed him a set of keys from his robe pocket.

"All of the apartments on this floor are open. So you may pick as you please."

"Thank you very much for your generosity." says Michael. He truly was thankful. After everything that happened, he would have liked nothing more than to just crash onto a bed and sleep for days.

"Yes, we really appreciate it." Samantha added. The Hokage gave a warm smile.

"You're very welcome. The apartments are all furnished, so you have no need to worry about that. Now, I must take my leave, I will have your companions escorted here once they are finished at the hospital."

The Hokage tipped his hat and took his leave but not before handing Michael a small bag of coins.

"What should we do now?" Michael asked. Dr. Johnson thought for a moment.

"We should probably try to get a good idea of the layout of the village. If we're going to be staying here, we should know where everything is." The Spartan agreed.

After about an hour of exploring, Michael and Samantha were in absolute awe at the village. The first place they visited was the Hokage monument, which consisted of four large faces that watched over the village. But who wouldn't want a view like that? Konoha was laid out before them and Naruto was shooting off names of places as if he were reading from a list.

"That's very impressive Naruto." Dr. Johnson complimented and asked him about another place she saw.

"Alright, Master Michael" Wilson said, after a few hours of silence. "I have uploaded a map of your surroundings."

"Thank you, Wilson. And where have you been? I haven't talked you in hours." Michael questioned the AI. Wilson appeared and bowed slightly in apology.

"Forgive me sir, but you know me. I only come when you need me."

"Who are you talking to?" Naruto asked, his large blue eyes looking at him curiously. Michael was about to explain, but realized that Naruto wouldn't know what he was talking about. The technology here wasn't there yet. Michael then opted to take his helmet off.

"It's best if you see. Hold still." Michael put the helmet on the toddler's head and it was funny how the oversized helmet practically went over Naruto's shoulders.

"Greetings young master, my name is Wilson." Wilson greeted. Naruto's jaw dropped in wonder.

"I'm Naruto. How are you in this helmet? That's so awesome!"

"Well you see-" Wilson almost went into a scientific lecture about computers and brain waves but Michael took the helmet back, cutting him off.

"How rude…"Wilson muttered.

"Alright, come on. We're burning daylight." They descended the mountain and the wonders they saw when they went through the village. There were shinobi free running across the rooftops, villagers bustled with activity, as they went about their daily routines.

"This is all so fascinating." Samantha said in awe. All the different people, the smells, the sounds, it was different from the worlds that were in the UNSC. However, Michael and Samantha did notice that many of the locals stood a good distance away from them. Many stared hatefully at the little boy with them, but none acted like the mob.

"Naruto, stay close." Michael told him. He knew the child wouldn't be safe, even in this crowded place; anyone could sneak up on them. The group finally made it out of the crowd without incident, but Michael was still on edge. His years of training as a Spartan always had him on edge, but being in this hostile environment didn't help.

Meanwhile at the hospital, the three marines, Sara, Ramon, and Luther were being checked out by nurses and well, Ramon was, to be blunt, checking out the nurses.

"_Hola, mamacita!_" Ramon exclaimed when another nurse came in. "You know, my nickname on my home planet was the _Maestro del amor._"

The nurse looked at him with confusion, but Sara gave him a look of disgust and gave him a good jab to his injured arm,

"Ow! Why?" He whined.

"Don't be a pervert." She said, still glaring at him. Ramon rubbed his arm painfully but he was surprised when he didn't hear Luther laugh. He usually got a kick out of seeing Ramon hurt. Ramon looked over at his comrade who was staring out into space, not really reacting or doing much of anything.

"Hey buddy, you alright?" Ramon asked in concern. Sara also noticed this and focused her attention on Luther. The soldier seemed to snap out of it and gave a ghost of a smile.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." He assured weakly. Ramon and Sara weren't convinced.

"Are you sure?" She pressed. Luther seemed to zone out again but nodded. Ramon and Sara exchanged glances but decided that he'll talk when he wants to. Time passed and they were eventually allowed to leave. They were covered in bandages. A man in a dog mask, a purple vest and gray hair that seemed to defy gravity waited for them outside.

"Lord Hokage has asked that I escort you to your residence." He informed.

"Thank you." Sara and Ramon said. They all followed him through the village and once again were stared at by the locals.

"They act like we're from outer space or something." Ramon mumbled, which got a quiet laugh from Sara, but Luther continued to just follow them as if just going through the motions. They eventually ran into Michael, Samantha, and Naruto. The four year old was ecstatic to see his friends.

"Sara, Luther, Uncle Ramon!" The Marines smiled and greeted him, even Luther.

"How's it going little buddy?" Ramon put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie. When he was released, Naruto told them all about their day in the village.

"That sounds like it was fun." Sara said with a smile. She then looked at Michael, "Sir, if it's alright, we were going to head to wherever we're staying and get some sleep."

"You know, Marine, that's actually a good idea." Michael agreed.

Later that night, everyone was in their respective rooms. Dr. Johnson was dressing into some clothes that she had found laid out. The Hokage must have had clothes delivered to them all. It was for the best, considering their armors were singed and covered with plasma burns. She had finished changing, when there was a knock at her door. She opened it to reveal Michael, who was still in his armor.

"I need to talk to you." He said. She moved aside to let him in and she closed the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"I need to know why the Covenant was here." He replied firmly, turning to face her.

"W-w-what?" She stammered out in surprise.

"I need to know why the Covenant was here." He repeated, keeping an even tone.

"I have no idea." Samantha admitted, after a moment of silence.

"I think you do. I'm not going to repeat myself again. Now answer the question." Michael demanded, his voice rising. Samantha was about to deny knowledge but Michael stopped her dead in her tracks. "ONI wanted us to come here for a reason. I want to know what that reason is."

She seemed conflicted, but shook her head.

"I can't tell you." Michael glared at her.

"We're all in the same boat now. Trust is something we all need to share." The Spartan argued. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. "Marines I've fought with for years are dead because of whatever's on this planet."

Her lips were sealed and Michael stormed out of the apartment.

**Sorry for the long wait! And sorry there wasn't much action, this is plot development but the chapter after the next will have lots of action.**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**


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